Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Birthday Baked Beans

Today was my sweetheart Michael’s birthday.
Since it was a weeknight, I offered to make his favorite meal for a special
dinner: Hormel Cure 81 ham, corn on-the-cob, salad, and baked beans.

Almost from the day we met, Michael has asked me to make
baked beans. He loves them! Unfortunately for him, it is not one of my favorite
dishes so I never think to make them. Plus, he is pretty particular about
just what makes the perfect baked beans. I would taste the brands he liked from
the store, and anytime he enjoyed baked beans at a restaurant, I would try to
get a taste. After a while, I felt I knew the flavors he looked for—sweet and
slightly smoky.

I pulled out my copy of the Kansas City Barbeque Society
Cookbook. It was full of ideas, but none of the recipes seemed just right. So I
took the one that was closest to what I was looking for and then added my own
adjustments and touches. (Of course, ketchuphad to be one of the ingredients!)

The beans were a hit! I made them in the slow cooker, and
Michael snuck a bowl full before dinner time. He ate more for dinner and wanted
to make sure there were leftovers for the rest of the week. The recipe makes
such a large amount that I even put a container full in the freezer for future
enjoyment.

Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Add the
onions and saute until just softened.

Add the brown sugar, barbecue sauce, and ketchup into the
slow cooker. Whisk together until combined. Mix in the beans and sauteed onions.
Set the temperature to low and cook for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally so
the beans do not burn. Season with salt and pepper just before serving.

Note: These beans are sweet. If you like yours less so, just
cut the sugar amount in half. Also, about 1/2 pound of crispy bacon would make
a nice addition.

About Me

For more than a decade I have been a freelance writer. With more than 1,000 articles in print, my work has appeared in the Boston Globe, Topeka Capital-Journal, Concord Monitor, Around Concord, Hippo entertainment newspaper, Dallas Morning News, CatFancy, New Hampshire Home, Best of Burlington, Upper Valley Image, Woodstock Magazine, Better Nutrition, Great Life, Let’s Live, and American Airlines Custom Publishing. And I love to cook! I credit the women from my childhood for introducing me to the kitchen. My mother taught me how to sift ingredients for Tollhouse cookies and acted as my consultant while, at ten years of age, I fixed my first roast beef dinner. Grandma made homemade noodles that were so coated in flour that the chicken broth they boiled in became thick, rich gravy. And Mamaw created delicious meals in Missouri farmhouse kitchen that was the heart of her home. (And she actually hated to cook.) But my education in the finer points of good food came from television chefs such as Graham Kerr, Jeff Smith, Jacques Pépin, and, of course, Julia Child. She taught me to not be afraid of the most complicated dish thanks to her easy-going attitude about food.